Day One - New Project

[Charlie R]

Brian - Bingo! I believe you've correctly ID'd the pipe. Thank you!

[dcooke007]

Hey Max,

Shortening the pipe is way cool. Did she wash it in hot water and then dry it on high?

Sorry could not help myself. She has mad skills.

Danny

[hodakamax]

Danny, The girl never fails to amaze me!

Max

[Charlie R]

Max do you have a welder? If I have any 1.5 U-bends I can mock up a head pipe based on your side view pics and you can fit it to the muffler and weld it out or you can bring it when you come by and I'll do it. Make sense?

[hodakamax]

Charlie, I'm flexible. I can bring the frame assembly by your shop whenever. I think it needs to be built on the bike. I need to deliver John's RT engine sometime in the future. See if you have some bends and we will figure out a time that works. No hurry on this one. Whatever is handy for you. I could even leave it there but where would you put it?

Thanks,

Max

[hodakamax]

A little slow on the Forum, I've run out of zucchini stories (Clarence started it) so I'll give a quick report on the Day One Project 93 cylinder that was discussed on page 2. I took the original broken cylinder and ground a few depressions in the deck and filled the voids with silver solder. It was relatively easy to restore the flat surface with a large flat file. I didn't have enough torch to get a good bond but it was just a test and local heating on cast iron is probably a bad idea. My machinist has a special parts oven and the right materials and tools to do this correctly. This looks like a good way to proceed, I'll give a report when finished.

Max

PS--Ed and Clarence, I've got some great Z recipes I could send you guys!

[hodakamax]

Ah, things are moving along on the Day One project. The long header pipe has been completed by my local and clever exhaust shop guy Rod Blackburn. It looks as though we've added over seven inches to the header. The cases have been sent to the machine shop to replace the bronze bushings with needle bearings. The crank is being fitted with a new rod. The Ceriani fork stem is still putting up a fight not wanting to mate with Hodaka fork head. I had to order a 25mm x 1mm die to extend the threads on the stem along with some lathe work to fit the lower Hodaka race on the stem. My next step is to port the 93 cylinder for a reed and try to locate some wheels to get this thing rolling around the shop. With winter arriving there will be more time to spend on this fun project.

And that's the latest Day One report.

Maxie

[rough rider]

Looks very cool so far!

[hodakamax]

Thanks Richard, I hope it works!

Max

PS--this is a low key slow project. I do get excited when milestones happen.

[Bullfrog]

Very nice workmanship on the head pipe! And no, please don't send me any Zuchini recipes. I already have the ONLY TWO useful recipes for the big Z -- Zuchini bread and mulch.

Ed

[hodakamax]

Thanks Ed, I did go back to our Zucchini posts a few minutes ago, pretty funny, Clarence started it. Type in Zucchini on on the search.

Max

[hodakamax]

A bit more progress. A rear wheel assembly put together, new bearings and polish. Time to mock up the rear. All I have are some old RT shocks but they were too terrible even for the mock-up. I put the wire wheel to them. I didn't even take them apart. Wow, they don't look too bad, might work for awhile. All the fun for now.

Maxie

[hodakamax]

I hope I'm not boring everyone with my frivolous mini-reports but these projects are fun and rewarding each small step of the way. I devote myself to each small item even running taps and dies over each small part and cleaning and painting each and every part to make it near new. Hopefully when I'm finished the project will fall into the category of new or totally restored. It's part of the Zen of bringing items of the past into a new life in the future. OK, so much for philosophy. Today the projects were seat pan and footpegs. The seat pan was blasted and painted. The original footpeg bar was typically bent and contorted in weird ways. I found some later footpegs from I think a Super Combat. The trouble is that when mounted they were about 1/8 rotation off. A little torch work and twisting made the combo useable. I am having a good time on this one. Tires are here, but I still need nice a 19" 100B front wheel. Help!

Reporting,

Maxie

[Dale]

Good stuff Max. Keep the pics coming.

[hodakamax]

After a serious wrestling match I finally got the rear tire with security bolt assembled. I could then mount a new fender and check clearances. It's starting to look like the back half of a motorcycle.

Maxie

PS--Still looking for a nice 19" 100B front wheel. I've got the brake drum assembly.

[Dale]

Max,
That is starting to look really nice. Sorry no extra wheels here. Have you talked to Paul? Bruce Young?

What is the rear wheel size and what size Maxxis tire did you fit to it?
Dale

[Bullfrog]

Maxie, I've noticed that my wrestling matches with motorcycle tires in the 1970's were wayeeeee shorter and always ended with me getting a "pin" on the tire. Now the matches take a LOT longer and they look like a draw for the longest time until finally I get the "pin" - and then collapse into a quivering mass or take a well earned refreshment break!

Ed

[bchappy]

I am with you Ed. Kelly made it look simple in his YouTube video using the Baja No Pinch Tire Tool https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJS0quZfrDk. I just don't change enough tires to afford one. So the wrestling matches will continue.

[hodakamax]

Dale, I went with a 17'' 4-bolt hub rear. I'm trying to keep it light, small and agile. The baby Ceriani forks are somewhat small also. I think it will a nice combo for easy trail riding. The Maxxis tire sizes are 100/100-17 M7-305 and 70/100-19 M7-304. Maxxis is the only one I could find in aggressive knobbies for those sizes. The 17-19 Road Toad guys should like these.

And Ed, I thought the tire had won and I was going to have to take it to a tire machine. I had to take a break and rethink my plan. It appeared that I had a 17 1/2'' rim or a 16 1/2'' tire and that security bolt did not help a bit. I did prevail but I did have to set on the floor awhile to recover as you said.

Maxie

[Dale]

Max,
That is the size I was hoping you were going with. I am currently trying to source a 17 inch rear knobby for my Dirt Squirt project and yes, the 100/100-17 Maxxis (IRC also makes one) is the closest that I can find but that is quite a bit bigger than the original 3.25-17 Nitto. I am sure that the 100/100-17 will fit but I am concerned that there will not be enough clearance for the chain guard. I would like to hear what type of clearance you are seeing on your bike. Also, what do you measure across the knobs, outside to outside?

I did find one site that listed a 90/100-17 by IRC, but no one seems to have them. I looked at a 100/100-17 IRC and unmounted, it measured roughly 4.25 inches knob to knob.

Here is a picture of my current project. Trying to keep it original and plan for it to hit the trails as soon as spring arrives.
Dale

[hodakamax]

Dale, I just measured the width at 4.25''. Plenty of swing arm clearance but a little tight for a chain guard at least on the 92 swing arm. When you move the wheel forward the knob almost touches the front chain guard mount on the swing arm. The Maxxis are readily available and cheap. The Maxxis site has all the measurements for all sizes.

Maxie

[Dale]

Thanks Max. That is the same as the IRC then.
Here is what I have:
Current 3.25-17 Nitto measures 3.7 inches knob to knob.
Current clearance between chain guard to tire knob is .40 inches.
New 100/100-17 tires at 4.25 inches is .55 inches wider.
Dividing that in two, would be .275 inches additional tire width on each side.
Subtracting .275 from the .40 inch clearance would leave .125 (1/8th) inch of clearance.

I am thinking that is going to have to work. I might be trimming knobs since I want to keep the chain guard in place, but it is worth a try given the limited options for 17 inch knobbies.
Dale

[hodakamax]

Pretty close for sure at least with the wheel forward. It might work with a little fudging.

Max

[Zyx]

Max, unless you are trying for a stone stock build, just extend the swingarm with 1/4" Z plates. Two inches should do it. Improves handling, increases wheel travel, costs zilch. Everything else remains as it was except the brake brace rod which needs extension also. Very simple stuff. Check the clearance you have, but two inches further back and see what you get.

[hodakamax]

Thanks AZ. I've been considering just that and was looking for the pictures of yours. Can you re-post it? I'm still in the mock-up phase and all options are open. Here's a shot of the old short-tracker showing how we did it 50 years ago. Another option might be to fit a later model swing arm but I haven't looked into that yet. Any input on that Gang?

Maxie

PS--I'm thinking that the 100B swing arm is longer but I don't have one to measure.